Tint your ride, but roll down the windows in Mexico

marcelino Miranda

There have been several public complaints from Belizeans who headed to Chetumal over the last weekend. The motorists are peeved about being held by Mexican authorities for driving a vehicle with heavily tinted windows. According to Marcelino Miranda, Mexico’s Press Officer, the dark windows are illegal once you cross the border at Subtiniente Lopez. Belizeans, however, are not penalized because it is a common trend this side of the border and the Mexicans prefer to turn a blind eye in exchange for the business. But Miranda says that visitors should roll down their windows.

Marcelino Miranda, Press Officer, Mexican Embassy

“In Chetumal, the rest of Quintana Roo state and the rest of Mexico, tinted windows are prohibited. They are banned. Except some tinted windows made by manufacturers. But in the case of Chetumal and in other cities of Mexico, the government of Mexico understands that lots of Belizean cars have tinted windows. That’s the reason we have confirmation by the government of Quintana Roo that Belizean drivers who have tinted windowed cars, they are not going to receive tickets from the police in Chetumal or in the rest of Quintana Roo. This is a courtesy to Belizeans who are visiting Quintana Roo.

They are asking visitors to roll down the windows if they are tinted because this ban in Mexico is for security reasons. So we are asking-the government of Quintana Roo, the Embassy of Mexico are asking the Belizeans to just roll down the windows for security reasons. It seems that some Belizeans have complained that they have been detained by the police in Chetumal about their tinted windows. So we just want to remind the Belizean public that they are not going to receive a ticket but they are going to be detained if they don’t roll down the windows if the car is tinted.”

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26 Responses for “Tint your ride, but roll down the windows in Mexico”

The Mexican ban on dark tint is commendable. It’s an obvious rough and ready measure to unmask criminals who hide in their vehicles in plain sight. Here (BZ) they do the same with impunity, and go a step further… they tint the windshield and have no plates, and they’re good to go all day with their bazookas. Traffic Dept is asleep at the wheel. Get it?

I thought there was already a law in Belize, banning tinted windows. Tinted windows on motor vehicles should be banned in Belize. We should follow the Mexican example of banning tinted windows, since they are a cover to criminal activities.

i dont agree with you guys… Tinted windows have its benefits. One help to keep the air condition in and the vehicle cools faster. two delinquents dont know if a man or woman are driving especially when a husband leaves his wife alone and goes on trips for work. Not all people that have tinted windows are criminals. we are belizeans that like our privacy too. for instance can the government tell you what kind of windows you can put in your house? Of course not. why should they on your vehicle, my vehicle was not purchased with GOB monies. Now if i am subjected to more routine inpections and checks then thats a choice i would face if i have dark tinted windows.

See, Mexico has good standards, but Belize, scared to to turn up the heat on the same level of standards…Belizean cant have deh way in Mexico, but Mexicans and others can have there way in Belize…What the………?

To Mr. OW Resident:
For every one of your points, there is a counter:
1. Safety of your wife: what if someone kidnaps her and your family while in their vehicle? If it is tinted, no one can tell if she is safe inside or being held against her own will.
2. If someone wants to harm your wife, they will make sure you are not around. They will not depend on one condition: that the Mrs. is driving.

I know there were laws against tinted windows, don’t know if they exist. But the persons that were supposed to be leading the way ignored the law: our own ministers and elected officials.

Belizeans stop complaining about the laws of Mexico there are enough unfair laws in Belize to complain about if you don’t like the way it is don’t go there or roll down your windows when you do just don’t go in the rain.

The windows on your home and the windows on your car are two different things, when you are in your car and in the public the rules change in public you need to declare yourself there is no privacy there that is why it is called public.

Belize has so many laws designed to protect us, yet we remain unaware of most of them so we never adhere to them. In San Pedro Town just two weeks ago…it became mandatory to have helmets for motor bikes…but the law ALWAYS existed. Finally the traffic department got its act together and will issue tickets and impound bikes who do not comply…Are we even sure that tinted windows is acceptable within our laws? Perhaps this media house can investigate that angle..and inform the public…..

I totally agree with OW resident. If someone goes across the border they already know what they will be subjected to. It is your choice to go and I don’t mind being stopped at a checkpoint. I do disagree, however with people tinting their front windshields. This is downright dangerous for anyone, especially at night. There are all kinds of people out there and you never know who might be watching you or your ride. So I don’t agree with those saying tint should be banned.

why would you want privacy in a vehicle on a public road? Tinted glass is dangerous, as the drivers visibility is restricted, especially at night. How many more children are going to get run over, or drive-by shootings etc. will need to happen before the law is enforced in belize. Same applies to vehicles without liceense plates, many top-range vehicles drive around without any, yet it’s the law abisding drivers that get stopped at check points. Obviously there are two sets of laws in Belize – one for the poor and one for the beter off, and if you have money, you don’t have to worry about any of them.

Vehicles with heavy tint or without license plates should be impounded and locked up until the owner removes the tint & fit license plates. Of course, there are times when the traffic department actuall don’t have the plates to issue, but that only lasts a couple of weeks, and the receipt should be carried by the driver. That receipt should also have the latest date that the vehicle can be driven without plates too. Weeks, not months or years!

Well said cg. If you don’t like their laws don’t even go there. Again, I stand by my opinion that tinted windows(not front windshield) are both safe and convenient. Belize is not that big and I know in my town, everyone knows each others cars. Except for Belize City, where these thugs go around to drive-by and commit other ‘activities’, i think the tinted windows work well. People don’ get run over because of the tint in your car, it is because of the carelessness of the driver.

Let’s be real, heavy tinted windows are popular mainly for privacy not climate control. Visit marine parade near Fort George after work, or the hangar area in the evening and you will understand why Belizeans love their tinted windows so much. Meanwhile criminals and other mischief makers use tinted windows to their advantage while putting women, children, and every person on the road at night in serious peril. There is a law prohibiting heavy tint on vehicles, like almost every traffic law it is not enforced.

i agree that the complete tinting infront of your vehicle is ridiculos. but i dont agree with the banning of tint. We cant start blaming crime for tinted windows go to the root of the problem there are too many guns and drugs in the streets. If i go to mexico or wherever for that matter i am subjecting myself to thier laws. NO like mexico laws simply dont go… I can understand why mexico has it but in Belize its unrealistic at this point. Tint dont run over kids its drunk drivers that do..

Agree with “cg” 100%. If you can’t stand the heat stay out of the bloody kitchen. Every country has rules respect it and they will respect you. What with the haters of dark tint??? If a motorist wants his privacy why can’t they respect that person’s rights to privacy. Dark tint plays no role if you or anyone is going to be kidnapped. If a criminal wants to do his deed he just has to show you the gun and let you know “yu scream and yu dead” and instantly you shut up and comply with his demands. Belizeans just like butt-in the next door neighbors “bedroom business” too much. They just want to see if “da Sandra and ey Sweetheart deh eena di car.” But I bet you if “Sandra” mi get shoot right front a ey house (weh no “dark-tinted”) nobody mi wah see.

Its not about leaving the Mexicans ALONE….didn’t u read the above comment..it is true that we Belizean visit other countries and we abide by them…but when foreigners or MEXICANS comes into our country we tolerate them in their fool…next thing too.. I have freinds in Mexico whose Vihicle are TINTED …so what the the….? what Is this Ambassodor talking about now…… there are many cars in chetumal that are tinted… so stop hitting on the Belizeans…

Rules are made to be obeyed, if you don’t like the laws of Mexico don’t visit that country.
Stay in Belize with all its crimes,maybe Belize should start implementing laws to protect its citizens from the tinted glass mentality, a product of the ghettos in good old USA.

the people who tint the front windshield on their vehicles are not very wise, they cant see at night and they will screw everyone else who has a light tint on side glass , because this will force the government to ban all tint on all vehicles

We dah o.w got the darkest of tinted windows in the world so dark even at midday sun shining you can’t even see inside a car driving at 10mph.I remember smoking and drinking in the car passing the police and the police station at least 12 times and do you think they bother watching inside the truck? Nope so dark they only glanced and kept on driving lol if they would have pulled us over they would have scored big buttttt,they didn’t so.. c ya later alligator

Belizean dont need to follow the mexican law…. we ain’t no amigos!!! NO NEED TO Implement any new law to our country …already have alot of issue to deal with … so therefore just disregard it and by any chance those mexicans authority “police” just pull over your car for no reason just because we da belizean and have belizean plate ..

If their is a law in Belize regarding dark window tint…..then all the UDP ministers and the opposition are guilty of breaking that law becuase nearly all of them tint their government issued late model rides…with their free gas too sponsored by our hard earn tax dollars..riding in style at our expense…only in Belize only in Belize…..